Accommodation to suit every traveller in Wollongong

Carla GrossettiBy Carla Grossetti
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From glamping getaways to hotels with all the mod cons and cute-as-a-button cabins, here are some of the best Wollongong accommodation options.

Whether you’re an outdoorsy family, a couple looking for a romantic weekend away or an adventurous type who likes to fly solo and get away from it all, we’ve got you sorted with some of the coolest places to stay on the South Coast. And the best thing about our list of the best places to stay in Wollongong and surrounds is that it ranges from campgrounds to hotel suites and beach houses with wrap-around views. Take your pick from the following.

Hotels

Novotel Wollongong Northbeach

If you’re looking for some romance in the Gong, book a long weekend at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach . Dive headfirst into all the recently refurbished hotel has to offer: dinner at Palisade Kitchen and Bar and drinks at the North Bar, which looks like something out of an Entourage scene. Best of all, doe-eyed duos don’t need to leave the pool in order to order a cocktail at the spiffy Adrift Pool Bar.

Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.
Book a long weekend at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.

Sage Hotel

Families with little ones will appreciate the fact the Sage Hotel has an activities room with old-school video games, table tennis and Giant Jenga. The hotel, which is within walking distance of Wollongong CBD and City Beach, feels as if it could double as a lighthouse, with its glass-fronted floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Illawarra coastline. Parents will also appreciate the pool bar, which features Friday night movies.

the Sage Bar.
Parents will appreciate the pool bar the Sage Bar.

Headlands Austinmer Beach

The new Headlands Austinmer Beach wraps around the Austinmer headland and it’s those sea views that guests are here for. The stylish ocean-view apartments, which are proving popular for weddings and luxury escapes, look out over the Illawarra and the beauty of the location is that you can stay glued to a sun-lounger by the hotel pool, one of the coolest on offer on the coast, have dinner at the pub downstairs and then hang happily on your hotel balcony.

Headlands Austinmer Beach
Headlands Austinmer Beach wraps around the headland.

Argo Apartments

The paint is only just dry at Argo Apartments located in the heart of the Wollongong CBD. Many of the new apartments, which accommodate small pets, offer views over the ocean and iconic Illawarra Escarpment. The rooms have stuck to a mainly minimalist palette of whites and charcoals enhanced by the warm glow of copper tones, which are a lustrous feature of the lobby. Enjoy glittering city views from the balcony at night as the Gong is lit up like a circuit board.

Argo Apartments.
The paint is only just dry at Argo Apartments.

Airbnb’s

Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast

Surprise your squeeze with a thrilling tandem hang-gliding adventure followed by a stay at Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast , which is a multi-level home comprising the Beachcomber Spa Suite on the upper level, the Ocean Blue garden wing with a west-facing deck, and the Sandpiper Spa Suite on the ground level. Insulate yourself from the world at this bright and breezy retreat, which includes a fully cooked breakfast of a morning.

Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast.
Bask in the greenery at Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast.

Wollongong Coastal Bungalow

Whether you’re travelling with your kids, the in-laws or a group of foodie friends, we’ve done the Airbnb Wollongong edit and found the best Wollongong accommodation on offer. Wollongong Coastal Bungalow is one of them. Here are the details: the three-bedroom, three-bathroom bungalow is located in the Wollongong CBD, is a 10-minute walk to some of the city’s best beaches and is packed with everything you will need and includes ocean views to boot.

Wollongong Coastal Bungalow
Wollongong Coastal Bungalow is a great AirBnB on offer.

Easton’s Escape

Easton’s Escape is a well-designed light-filled apartment that has room for up to six guests, and enough room for everyone to spread out in the communal living-dining area and sunny balcony. While there’s plenty of reasons to just kick back and relax in the apartment, when you do leave, you’re just a few blocks back from the beaches in North Wollongong and some of our favourite places to eat in Wollongong. Perfect for families.

The light-filled living area extends to a private balcony.

The Bower

The Bower is not on the coast. But the Mt Kembla home deserves special mention in our guide to Wollongong accommodation as it’s a quiet oasis away from the bustle of the city and the perfect base from which to lace up your boots and hit some trails. Fans of Mid-Century design will love the Mid Century lines of this architecturally designed home, while families will appreciate making memories around the fire pit under the stars.

The Bower
The Bower is a quiet oasis away from the bustle of the city.

Camping

Coledale Camping Reserve

The Coledale Camping Reserve is a small grassy campground just metres away from Coledale Beach. The campground has a really cool communal vibe and is filled with shaggy haired surfers living their best #vanlife and families with little ones who aren’t up for anything too intrepid. Swim, fish, surf, dive and play French cricket and then head to Sharky’s across the road for fish and chips.

Coledale Beach.
Pitch a tent metres away from Coledale Beach.

Corrimal Beach Tourist Park

Corrimal Beach Tourist Park is a go-to for a night or two spent under canvas when visiting the Gong as it offers the simplest of joys – proximity to 1.4-kilometre stretch of sand beach views – all within nine minutes of Wollongong’s CBD.  The park backs onto sand dunes and native grasses that whisker the coastline and is near to Towradgi Creek, which is a top spot to catch dusky flathead.

Windang Beach Tourist Park

Windang Beach Tourist Park is sandwiched between Lake Illawarra and Windang Beach Tourist Park and it’s a choose-your-own-adventure vibe with cabins, and powered campsites that cater to tents and caravans. The location – smack-bang on Windang Beach – is perfect for immersing yourself in the Wollongong lifestyle. Families should pitch their tent as near to the children’s playground as possible.

Windang Beach Tourist Park is sandwiched between Lake Illawarra and Windang Beach.

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve is popular with large family groups who book out the backpacker-style accommodation for special occasions. In addition to the 40-bed bunkhouse, the holiday park has large, unpowered camping sites that are popular with the grizzled surfer brigade. Thanks to the park’s reserve status, the campsite is surrounded by rolling hills and near to famed surf breaks, The Farm and Mystic’s.

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve.
unset at Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve.

For more travel tips and itineraries read our Ultimate guide to Wollongong holidays.

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Panorama suite bath at Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
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8 insider experiences to discover the offbeat in Newcastle

    Carla GrossettiBy Carla Grossetti
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    Discover vibrant culture and creativity, gorgeous nature spots and more in lively Newcastle.

    Newcastle/Muloobinba has a lot going for it beyond its big skies and beautiful beaches. The city’s creative types are now heading downtown, taking over and transforming warehouses and terraces to offer a more alternative vibe. From its nightlife to secret swimming spots, art to architecture, here’s our insider’s guide to Newcastle in New South Wales.

    1. Learn to sail on Newcastle Harbour

    The harbour has always shaped Newcastle, so it seems like the most obvious place to start your weekend. Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club offers a range of programs that provide instruction for both novice and experienced sailors. This is an inspired classroom that sets off past the Honeysuckle Foreshore up the Hunter River, with views towards a seemingly infinite vista of blue stretching to the horizon. It’s the perfect way to savour your time by the sea. Other water activities include surfing, swimming in one of the secret ocean baths or whale-watching with CoastXP .

    Aerial view of Newcastle Harbour.
    Join Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club’s programs. (Image: City of Newcastle)

    2. Underground jazz scene

    Follow the lively sound of the saxophone bubbling up to find The Underground . The popular basement-level bar, with its dim lighting and speakeasy aesthetic, schedules live jazz performances every Tuesday and Thursday. Newcastle is known around the country for supporting live music and this late-night New York-style jazz bar is, like the city itself, both approachable and sophisticated. For fans of live music, Queen’s Wharf Hotel , King Street Newcastle , Mad Poet and The Lucky Hotel are all popular pubs for their roster of live music.

     

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    3. The city as a canvas   

    The streets of Newcastle present like an outdoor art gallery , adding beauty to the everyday with large-scale works by artists such as Fintan Magee, Inari Meyers, Tom Henderson and Sophia Flegg. Hire a Flash E-bike and pedal around the streets to find treasures such as Bronte Naylor’s Mirror Ocean in Civic Square or Sky & Ocean at South Newcastle Beach Skate Park. You can also join Newy Tour Co.’s Discover Newcastle tour to explore city highlights, architectural gems and street art with an expert guide.

    Friends take in Newcastle Street Art.
    Admire stunning works of art displayed all around you. (Image: Destination NSW)

    4. An artist’s view of Newcastle

    There’s a real sense of optimism around Newcastle, stemming from its many grassroots art galleries and organisations. The city is home to an eclectic array of artists who gravitate toward different mediums; see their works on show at independent galleries such as The Lock-Up , which operated as a police station from 1861 until 1982, and Lighthouse Arts Newcastle in the light-filled cottages on Nobbys Head/Whibayganba. Stop by The Creator Incubator to see the Little and Big gallery spaces. Newcastle Art Gallery will soon reopen after a recent expansion, so keep an eye out.

    5. Newcastle after dark

    The small bars confetti’d around Newcastle are a sign of the times. Visitors to the compact city will find a concentration of bars within a small radius, all of which are within easy walking distance or accessible via the light rail. The after-dark experience, which includes theatre and live music, is designed for visitors who are in search of the offbeat and want to celebrate the city’s creativity.  Whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure, the bars that dot most neighbourhoods will tempt you with everything from happy hour to their alt attitude. 

    A bartender expertly crafting a drink, with a stunning library of spirits in the background.
    Enjoy a night out at a lively bar. (Image: City of Newcastle)

    6. Indulge in great gastronomy

    Newcastle’s proximity to the Hunter Valley has helped establish it as a sophisticated getaway for gourmands with a passion for provenance. Dining options in the city are diverse, with everything from casual cafes to cantina-style Mexican eateries such as Antojitos , through to fine diners such as Flotilla and Jana Restaurant & Bar at QT Newcastle . Visit during Newcastle Food Month  to get a snapshot of the local culinary scene – you can take note of the many world-class restaurants and cafes that warrant a return visit. Humbug , Peregrin and Bistro Penny should also be on your radar.

    The dining area at Flotilla in Newcastle NSW.
    Savour a world-class dining experience at Flotilla. (Image: Flotilla)

    7. Crystalbrook Kingsley

    Crystalbrook Kingsley is another great example of Newcastle’s new wow factor.  Staying at the hotel – in the heart of the cultural centre – makes exploring a breeze, with vintage bikes for guests who want to check out the city streets on two wheels. The design-savvy Crystalbrook Collection reimagined the Roundhouse building while adhering to its ethos of sustainable luxury. The hotel is also a magnet for foodies, with the rooftop Roundhouse restaurant and cocktail bar, Romberg’s, two of the best spots in the city for wining and dining.

    The Roundhouse by Crystalbrook Collection.
    Step into the reworked Roundhouse by Crystalbrook. (Image: Crystalbrook Kingsley)

    8. Newcastle’s creative side on show

    Save the date for New Annual , a festival of art, music and ideas from 26 September – 5 October. The program is jam-packed with 10 days of art, culture and creativity. This year’s festival will celebrate the power art has to connect people. Expect to see a diverse program including music, theatre, workshops, and performances in iconic Newcastle locations. Visitors will find a concentration of events within a small radius, all of which are within easy walking distance or accessible via the light rail.

    Dancers performing gracefully, accompanied by a live orchestra.
    Celebrate migration, community and belonging at New Annual.

    Plan your next trip to offbeat Newcastle.